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Trans Canada Trail in
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Media News re trails 2006
Oct. 23, 2006, Press Release,
Red Deer
Trans Canada Trail Registration Confirmed
The
Central Alberta Regional Trails Society (CARTS) is pleased to announce
the registration of 70.6 kilometres of trail designated as Trans Canada
Trail.
Debbie Olsen, CARTS chair, said, "We're absolutely
thrilled to be able to make this announcement. We have been working on
this trail for more than 4 years now. A lot of volunteer time and
community effort have come together to make this happen. Now we look
forward to getting on with construction!"
The 70.6 kms. of registration are along the Trans
Canada Trail route from Penhold to Wetaskiwin. The breakdown of the
registration is as follows:
Town of Lacombe 7.1 kms.
Town of Ponoka 5.2 kms.
Red Deer County 16 kms.
Lacombe County 23.8 kms.
Ponoka County 18.5 kms.
The registrations include some existing trail as well
as prospective trail. TCT designation allows these communities to apply
to the TransCanada Trail Foundation for some funding as well as
participating in the marketing benefits of being part of the TCTrail.
CARTS applauds these communities for their proactive approach to trails
and recognizing the recreation, social, health and economic benefits
that trails provide.
CARTS is a non-profit society which supports the
responsible development of recreational trails in Central Alberta. CARTS
also supports and promotes the TransCanada Trail in Central Alberta.
For further information, contact the chair, Debbie
Olsen at 403-782-3017 or Derry Armstrong, TCT co-ordinator for Central
Alberta at 403-843-4351.
Oct. 16, 2006, Red Deer Advocate, by Laura Tester
Trail group on path to funding
A
Central Alberta trail group is optimistic that 80 km of rural trails
will soon become part of the Trans Canada Trail after five years in the
making.
Central Alberta Regional Trails Society expects to hear
any day whether its planned trails between Wetaskiwin and Penhold will
be included in the national trail system.
Debbie Olsen, society president and Lacombe town
councillor, said they stand to benefit greatly from the partnership.
The national charity will donate money toward building
the trails in the rural areas.
The trails will extend from Wetaskiwin to Lacombe and
from there to Blackfalds, Red Deer, Springbrook and Penhold.
Some community trails have already been designated as
part of the Trans Canada Trail, including 29 km in Red Deer.
Trans Canada Trail will also pay for bridge design
costs. Two or three bridges may be needed over Central Alberta rivers,
depending on where the route goes.
Derry Armstrong, Trans Canada Trail Foundation co-ordinator
for Central Alberta, said they are also optimistic that Canadian Forces
engineers will help install the bridges at no cost to the society.
Alberta Trail Net has also committed $100,000 toward
building trails in the Ponoka area.
Olsen said they're eager to be a part of Trans Canada
Trail because of its name recognition.
These trails are becoming tourist attractions, she
said.
The Trans Canada Trail aims to have the main trunk done
across the provinces and territories by 2010.
The Central Alberta group has been planning the trails
for about five years.
Olsen blamed part of the delay on the province, which
she said has done little to finance recreational trails.
"We have less trails than any other part in the
country."
The Alberta Urban Municipalities Association will press
the province to provide money for developing and maintaining trails, as
well as create a policy framework to encourage the building of trails.
These recommendations originated from Town of Lacombe and City of Red
Deer leaders.
Trail development has also been slow going because of the extensive work
involved in designing routes and securing right-of-ways, Olsen said.
Armstrong has been working out these details. His contract began in the
spring of 2005 and ends next spring.
Alberta Trail Net executive director Linda Strong-Watson said Trans
Canada Trail officials approached 2010 Olympic organizers in Vancouver
to use some of its recreational trails for the torch run. There's no
word yet on whether that will happen, she said.
July 3, 2006, Red Deer Advocate, by Lisa Joy
 Big
Potential for Trails
If you build it, they will come.
That's what Debbie Olsen, acting vice-president of Central Alberta
Trail System (CARTS) believes about the estimated $4 million to $6
million, 90-km trail that will stretch for Penhold to Wetaskiwin.
"We have a local benefit but other people will come and use it and
appreciate the beauty we have in the Prairies," said Olsen.
The proposed trail, which will vary in width from about one to
three metres along the way, will become part of the Trans Canada Trail
System joining the country from coast to coast to coast.
Lenore Harris, director of Alberta Trail Net and Secretary for
CARTS, says Alberta is lagging behind in developing its portion of the
Trans Canada Trail.
"The only stumbling block at this point is the Alberta Government,"
she said.
Harris says the reason is two-fold.
"Other provinces have more provincial support. In B.C., the
provincial support is $10 million. In Manitoba, it's $4 million. In
Ontario, it's $5 million. And in Alberta, it's $1 million."
The policies of Alberta Transportation are also a hindrance.
"They have a policy that no trails can be built in highway right of
ways," she said. "To accommodate the trail in Central Alberta, it would
be most advantageous to put the trail along some of the provincial right
of ways off of secondary highways.
"Other provinces have allowed trails in provincial road right of
ways," she added. "The policy in Alberta is backwards."
Olsen says the Central Alberta trail is long overdue.
"There are not very many bike trails here and we are a little
behind on that.
"It would be great if you could ride your bike from Ponoka to
Lacombe or Lacombe to Blackfalds," she added. "I don't know about you
but I don't feel safe riding on QEII or Hwy 2A."
The trail would also provide families with the perfect recreational
opportunities.
"So many things are out of reach but this is something for
everyone," said Olsen from her Lacombe home. "It's a free form of
recreation. We could make our trails go past some beautiful sites, like
the J.J. Collette Nature Reserve."
The trail would give Central Albertans the chance to take a leisure
bicycle ride or walk through the gentle, rolling foothills and
breathtaking prairie landscape. It would wind through communities along
the way.
Olsen says interpretive signs could be erected highlighting
wildlife and historical sites. Residents could learn about the treasures
of Alberta's heartland, from the historic Edwardian architecture
scattered throughout Lacombe to the famous area museums.
Museums include Michener House, birthplace of Gov.-Gen. Roland
Michener; Fort Ostell Museum, which is home to a rare exhibit of Alberta
Hospital Ponoka's patients' artwork from the hospital's early
years; and Wetaskiwin's Reynolds Museum.
The trail would also have an equestrian component from Morningside
through Ponoka all the way to the Four Nations Bands in Hobbema.
The trail, which has been approved by Alberta TrailNet (ATN) to
become part of the Trans Canada Trail, will be funded by the federal and
provincial government and private donations.
David Matthews, Community Development and Planning co-ordinator for
the City of Red Deer, says the Central Alberta Trail system will attract
people to Red Deer.
"They will have a good opportunity to see what a great
trail system we have," he said.
He says the trail will enter the city at the south end along Hwy 2A
and exit off of Taylor Drive on the north end.
"But it's what is between which is the best part, when it comes through
Red Deer," he said.
Construction on many areas could begin as early as next year. It
will cost as much as $125,000 a kilometre through the urban areas,
$150,000 for four bridges, but minimal amounts through the rural areas,
according to Linda Strong-Watson, executive director of ATN in Edmonton.
"It will be a chain of pearls," said Derry Armstrong, CARTS co-ordinator
for the Trans Canada (Trail) Foundation.
The trail has received approval from the City of Red Deer and Red
Deer County, Lacombe town and county and Ponoka County.
Approval is expected soon from towns of Ponoka and Blackfalds.
"To have every community on board saying 'Yes, we want this',
that's pretty cool and hard, but it happened and we think we can do it."
(Photo by Jeff Stokoe, Red Deer Advocate - A couple takes a time out
from their walk at Bower Ponds in Red Deer to inspect the Trans Canada
Trail pavilion, recently erected to promote the trail through Central
Alberta.)
Central Alberta Trail System
will cover much of region
The Central Alberta Trail System (CARTS) will be approximately 90
km long. It will consist of:
- 29 km through the city of Red Deer.
- the trail will enter Red Deer from Penhold along Hwy 2A and exit
on Taylor Drive north of the city.
- In Red Deer, the local trail system will be used.
- 14.9 km through Red Deer County.
- 20.4 km through Lacombe County.
- 29.9 km through Ponoka County.
It will become part of the Trans Canada Trail with:
- 64 km through Calgary.
- 69 km through Edmonton.
In Alberta, the Trans Canada Trail will have an urban component of
about five per cent with most of the trail through rural or public green
areas of the province.
- The Trans Canada Trail is projected to be about 18,000 km long
when completed.
- The Alberta portion of the trail will be about 2,100 km.
- The Trans Canada Trail runs from Victoria to Newfoundland and
north to the Arctic.
- Alberta is the sole province that has the east west route of the
Trans Canada Trail running all the way to Tuktoyaktuk, N.W.T.
June 21, 2006, Red Deer Region Online Magazine
Trail Proposed Between Penhold
and Springbrook
A 3.2 km pedestrian-bicycle trail along the old Highway 2A right of
way linking the communities of Penhold and Springbrook is being proposed
for both recreational and urgent safety reasons, Red Deer County heard
Tuesday. The urgency is due to children walking and bicycling along the
increasingly busy Highway 2A and occasionally along the railway tracks
between the two communities to commute for school or recreation.
But to get approval from Alberta Transportation, an operations and
maintenance agreement is being requested from the County. The section of
trail would ultimately form part of the Trans Canada Trail and link with
Red Deer and other Central Alberta communities. Representatives of the
Springbrook Community Association, Central Alberta Regional Trails
Society, Trans Canada Trail Foundation and the Penhold and District
Lions Club were in attendance to support the request.
Media News re trails 2011
Media News re trails 2010
Media News re trails 2009
Media News re trails 2008
Media News re trails 2007 Media
News re trails 2005
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